Since it debuted in 1975, “Austin City Limits” has showcased the most illustrious talents in American roots music. During this program, longtime “ACL” executive producer Terry Lickona and frequent “ACL” guests Ray Benson, Ruthie Foster, Sarah Jarosz, and Robert Earl Keen discuss the significance of the television show, its evolution over the decades, and their experiences performing on the show. Moderated by the Museum’s Paul Kingsbury, this program was recorded on September 19, 2024, during AmericanaFest 2024, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of “Austin City Limits,” and presented in partnership with the Americana Music Association.

The program begins with archival footage of Willie Nelson performing “Whiskey River” during the “Austin City Limits” pilot episode. Lickona and Benson—who, with his band Asleep at the Wheel, performed during the first non-pilot “ACL” episode—discuss the early days of the show, which focused solely on highlighting Austin-area and Texas-based artists of various genres. Due to its growth in popularity over time, “ACL” began booking artists outside of those original parameters, including Ray Charles, Shawn Colvin, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Foster and Keen credit the program for inspiring them to move to the Austin area, while Jarosz discusses watching “ACL” throughout her childhood and feeling inspired by the musical collaborations the series displayed to the masses. The panelists also share their favorite “ACL” performances, the evolution of the “ACL” stage and its relocation to a new studio, and the contributions “ACL” has made to the Austin area, including the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival.

“Austin City Limits” is the longest-running live music television program in history, with more than 900 episodes aired to date. It became the only television show to receive the National Medal of the Arts, in 2003; was awarded a Peabody in 2011; and has helped Austin gain the moniker “Live Music Capitol of the World” due to its influence and economic impact on the metropolitan area.

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